When our trip to Israel got cancelled -again- I was so disappointed. We were scheduled to spend a couple extra days in London, so it was doubly disappointing. As a consolation prize, some friends planned a girls trip. To the beach. My happy place. My first time in Cape May, NJ -the oldest beach resort town in the USA. We rented a [restored] house from 1880 within walking distance of the ocean.
Originally inhabited by the Lenni-Lenape Native Americans, Cape May was first documented by an English navigator in 1609. In the 1620s, Dutch explorer Captain Cornelius Jacobsen Mey charted the area, giving the cape its name. By the mid-18th century, its sandy beaches and coastal breezes attracted wealthy visitors from Philadelphia, making Cape May the country's oldest recognized seaside resort.
During the 19th century, Cape May experienced massive luxury growth, featuring sprawling wooden hotels. However, tragedy struck on November 8, 1878, when a massive fire tore through the city and destroyed over 30 acres of the historic beachfront. Residents quickly rebuilt, creating the renowned architectural landscape of colorful Victorian-style homes and inns that still stand today. In 1976, the entire city of Cape May was designated as a National Historic Landmark.
Our rental house had the most charming back porch...
And the hydrangeas surrounding the house were at their peak when we arrived. 😍
That bloom is as big as my head! Oh wait, it's BIGGER than my head.
We may have been so captivated by the ocean & sunset the first evening that we lost track of the tide creeping closer and closer to our footwear... until we looked back and saw them tumbling in the surf. 😆 Luckily, they didn't wash out to sea!
The house came with all the beach gear, which was convenient, but we sure struggled with the umbrellas in the brisk ocean breeze. The gentleman next to us said he was going to send us back to beach umbrella school. 😂 We kept hearing how it was scorching hot at home, but it was beautiful at the beach- we couldn't have asked for more perfect weather! I got fried the first day, which put a damper on the rest of the trip. (Yes, I used sunscreen. I even reapplied it. But somehow it failed me.) Now I'm peeling like an orange!
Don't ask how seeing the moonrise went on the first attempt, but the lighthouse was beautiful at night.
We did have some success hunting for Cape May "diamonds" at Sunset Beach one day. 👍
Crepes at the Washington St Mall
Many thanks to these lovelies for allowing me to 'seas the day' with them!
The timing of the trip turned out to be fortuitous. It distracted me from the secret I was keeping and made the time pass faster. There were more than firecrackers popping on the 4th... 😉 some men were popping the question, too - our daughter & niece both got engaged. I returned home just in time to set up for a proposal on our 'back 30'. It was such an honor to be involved. We couldn't be happier with the son-in-law we are getting.
The wind & rain played havoc with our setup, but the good Lord answered our prayers for a reprieve at just the right time.
I always believed Arianna was not destined to be single all her life. We had multiple people comment to us that all the young men must be blind these days... that they can't believe we don't have a line of suitors at our door. It's not like she didn't get out much/wasn't meeting guys, but none that interested her. As the years went by, I watched her become so strong and independent. I added to my prayers "Lord, you know where he is. Make their paths cross. And when they do, open his eyes so he notices her." We didn't know it till 6 months ago, but God was keeping his end of the bargain, but Cam opening his eyes- maybe not so much. 😁 It took being paired off in a bridal party together. And now here we are- planning a fall wedding. 💕 We're excited [eek, we are the parents of the bride!], but deliberately ignoring the fact that this time the move away from home will be permanent. Thank you, Jesus, that it's only 2 hours.
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